First uterus transplant in US fails

The first uterus transplant in the United States failed after the recipient suffered complications, prompting doctors to remove the organ, the Cleveland Clinic said on Wednesday.TNN | March 11, 2016, 09:32 IST

"We are saddened to share that our patient, Lindsey, recently experienced a sudden complication that led to the removal of her transplanted uterus," the hospital said. She was "doing well" and "recovering" after surgery to remove the organ, it added.

The successful transplant, which lasted nine hours, took place on February 25. The hospital said it is reviewing why the transplant failed, adding that its clinical trial - which aims to carry out uterus transplants in 10 women - will continue.

Doctors at Sweden's University of Gothenburg were the first to successfully perform a uterus transplant in 2013. The recipient gave birth to the first child to be conceived in an implanted womb in September 2014.

The transplant is temporary, meant to enable women to deliver up to two children over a five-year period. AFP